MFNews: More Forced Electroshock Uncovered at NY State Institutions!

Mon Jul 30 18:52:58 CDT 2007

MindFreedom International News - 1 August 2007
http://www.mindfreedom.org- please forward

MORE FORCED SHOCK REVEALED!

Another attorney... another client... more forced electroshock by New  
York State Office of Mental Health!

Pressure builds on New York State Office of Mental Health to stop  
forced electroshock.

Attorney Aaron Frishberg issued the following alert today about his  
client John Kelly facing more forced electroshock in Rockland  
Psychiatric Center:

~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.mindfreedom.org/as/act/us/new-york-state/another-omh- 
forced-electroshock
or go to: http://tinyurl.com/2a82sk

30 July 2007

    Another Forced Electroshock by NY Office of Mental Health

    "They Ruined My Memory," Says John Kelly Who Faces More Forced  
Electroshock in New York State

    From Office of Attorney Aaron Frishberg  - Frishberga at aol.com

Rockland Psychiatric Center, a New York State psychiatric hospital in  
Rockland County, New York, is going to court for an order to allow it  
to administer two to three Electro-Convulsive Treatments (ECT) a week  
for up to six months to John Francis Kelly, a 54-year-old man who has  
been an involuntary patient at state hospitals for the last three years.

The hearing will be held on the afternoon of 13 August 2007, at  
Rockland County Supreme Court. The doctors’ affidavits support of the  
application claim that when John Kelly received ECT voluntarily at  
another State Hospital in 1999, he “was immediately seen as calmer.”

But the actual record from Middletown Psychiatric Center, which  
summarized his reaction to ECT this way, shows that the story is much  
different from that.

During the time that John Kelly was being given shock treatments  
there, he got into trouble on the ward and got into a fight with  
another patient. He withdrew his consent to the treatment twice, the  
second time for good.

Having had the experience, John says “I had nine shock treatments at  
Middletown Hospital. They ruined my memory.”

John is being represented in court by Aaron Frishberg, a private  
attorney who is a member of MindFreedom.

ACTION: Write a strong but polite message to James Bopp, Executive  
Director, RPC:

** E-mail: RocklandPC at omh.state.ny.us

** Phone: (845) 359-1000

** Fax: (845) 359-3143

** Postal mail:

James Bopp, Executive Director
Rockland Psychiatric Center
140 Old Orangeburg Road
Orangeburg, New York 10962

Sample message:

"I urge you not to force John Kelly to have electroshock."

Adding your own words is most effective.

You may also send letters of support to:

John Kelly
Building 58, Ward 404
Rockland Psychiatric Center
140 Old Orangeburg Road
Orangeburg, New York 10962

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

REMINDER: Attorneys Feld & Darrow have been fighting to stop the  
forced electroshock of their client Simone D. by the New York State  
Office of Mental Health! Commissioner Michael Hogan says he refuses  
to do anything.

Simone D. is a Spanish speaker. Even though a psychiatrist ordered  
her to have Spanish speaking counselors, the New York State Office of  
Mental Health has refused, continuing to leave her in what her  
attorneys call "linguistic isolation," as she has been for years and  
years!

You can read about the background of the Simone D. Campaign and how  
you can easily speak out, go to:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb/mental-health-abuse/electroshock

THANK YOU to all of those who are speaking up and speaking out!

Several State of New York Office of Mental Health meetings have  
experienced citizens asking questions and demanding answers about  
forced electroshock against the subjects' wishes inside State of New  
York facilities! Keep it up!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

REMINDER:

TOMORROW, Wednesday, 1 August 2007, 4 pm Eastern Time, click http:// 
prncomm.net

MindFreedom Free Live Weekly Internet Radio Show

Next guest: Ron Bassman - author, psychiatric survivor, psychologist

Hear a live interview with Ron Bassman, a psychiatric survivor and  
psychologist who has just published a brand new book about his  
struggle to live, thrive and change the mental health system:

"A Fight to Be: A Psychologist's Experience from Both Sides of the  
Locked Door."

You can listen and phone in with your comments LIVE on the  
MindFreedom News Free Internet Radio Show by clicking on http:// 
prncomm.net this Wednesday, 1 August 2007 at 4 pm ET.

Phone numbers to call in live are announced during the show by host  
David Oaks.

Ron Bassman as a young person was a survivor of horrendous abuse by  
the psychiatric institution, including multiple lock-ups, forced  
electroshock, forced insulin coma shock, and forced drugging. He went  
on to become a humane psychologist and effective leader in changing  
the mental health system.

ALERT: Ron Bassman's brand new book "Fight To Be" is now for sale at  
the MindFreedom's MAD MARKET at:

http://mindfreedom.org/mad-market/fight-to-be-ron-bassman

More info on Ron's appearance on the MF radio show, along with Ron's  
description of himself in his own words, with a photo, go here:

http://mindfreedom.org/campaign/media/mfradio/next

Ironically, Ron Bassman is a New York State resident, and shock  
survivor and has worked in the past for the infamous New York State  
Office of Mental Health. We will therefore ask Ron to comment on the  
"Simone D." campaign. The NY Office of Mental Health  has won in  
court to give "Simone D." more forced electroshock. MindFreedom has a  
campaign for people to contact New York State officials to demand the  
OMH stop.

So remember to listen and phone in when Ron Bassman is the guest on  
the free LIVE MindFreedom News Internet Radio Show by clicking on  
http://prncomm.net this Wednesday, 1 August 2007 at 4:00 pm ET.

You may e-mail in your comments, questions or technical problems at  
any time at radio at mindfreedom.org. We check for e-mails during the  
show, and your comments may be read live.

Please note the producers sometimes start the show a few minutes  
late, your patience is appreciated.

If you miss the show you may hear it on the archive here:

http://oaks.progressiveradionetwork.org/

More info on Ron Bassman is at his web site:

http://www.ronaldbassman.com

~~~~~~~

Upcoming MF Radio shows in August are all guests from outside the USA.

Circle your calendar, all are on Wednesdays at 4 pm ET, and you can  
phone in live:

     ** 8 August: Peter Lehmann, the German psychiatric survivor and  
editor. We'll hear about his brand new book, co-edited with Peter  
Stastny, about alternatives to conventional mental health care.

     ** 15 August: A psychiatric survivor who is a professional  
historian and archivist and author, Geoffrey Reaume of Ontario has  
helped launch an international archive for the psychiatric survivor  
social change movement.

     ** 22 August: Don Weitz, also from Ontario, a well-known and  
widely-respected passionate leader in challenging the psychiatric  
system.

     ** 29 August: And Sue Clark, an electroshock survivor activist  
from Canada, see her web site http://wittenbergces.blogspot.com

To hear each show just click on http://prncomm.net at 4 pm ET.

If you miss the show you can hear recent archives here:

http://oaks.progressiveradionetwork.org/

More about MindFreedom Free Internet Radio here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/radio

~~~~~~~~~

More news at the MindFreedom News Web Site:

http://www.mindfreedom.org

Don't see an important news item? Submit it to news at mindfreedom.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~

And while you're on the MindFreedom web site... click on the button  
on the RIGHT to join or donate now, or go directly to:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/join-donate

Become a member or renew your membership now! Build united strength  
in numbers!

Do you want to...

* Win human rights campaigns in mental health?

* End abuse by the psychiatric drug industry?

* Support self-determination of psychiatric survivors?

* Promote safe, humane, effective options in mental health?

MindFreedom is for people who care about human rights who want to unite!

MindFreedom is a nonprofit human rights group that unites 100 sponsor  
and affiliate groups with individual members, and is accredited by  
the United Nations as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with  
Consultative Roster Status.

MindFreedom is one of the very few totally independent groups in the  
mental health field with no funding from governments, drug companies,  
religions, corporations, or the mental health system. While most of  
MindFreedom's members are psychiatric survivors, *all* who support  
human rights are invited to join and become active leaders.

Join or donate here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/join-donate

For hard-to-find books and gear go to:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/mad-market

MindFreedom International Office: 454 Willamette, Suite 216 - POB  
11284; Eugene, OR 97440-3484 USA

web site: http://www.mindfreedom.org
e-mail: office(at)mindfreedom(dot)org
office phone: (541) 345-9106
toll free: 1-877-MAD-PRIDe or 1-877-623-7743
fax: (541) 345-3737

~~~~~~~~~~~

Please forward this alert to all appropriate places on and off the  
Internet!

~~~~~~~~~~~

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